2018 in Review

December 31, 2018December 31, 2018

By ANGELA A. CHUA ALISHA DANIELLE M. GREGORIO

art by DANEA PATRICIA T. VILOG/ THE FLAME

EVERY YEAR that passes leaves marks on people through countless events, memories, and highlights. 2018 has been a year of change and countless trends, gossip, and challenges from the start all the way to the end. Here is a lineup of some unforgettable moments that 2018 brought that made noise on social media:

A ‘once in a blue moon’ phenomenon

At the start of the year, the Philippines was able to witness the rare Super Blue Blood Moon: a lunar eclipse, a blue moon, and a supermoon occurring at the same time. This three-in-one moon phenomenon lasted for about an hour and a half and was last seen over 150 years ago. Hence, people were excited and in awe when the momentous event took place.

Much-awaited Marvel crossover

Many avid superhero fans were on the edge of their seats when Marvel announced that the worldwide release of the long-awaited Avengers: Infinity War will be on Apr. 27. Fans went crazy as the film featured Marvel’s most ambitious crossover yet of various superheroes and teams such as the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy. They team up to defeat a powerful being named Thanos who seeks to destroy half the universe with the help of the Infinity Gauntlet, which only requires a snap from the mad titan to serve its purpose. Naturally, it is up to the superheroes to save the day— but did they?

A new museum for Filipinos

On May 18, the National Museum for Natural History near Rizal Park in Manila was formally opened. The museum welcomed hundreds of people on its opening day with exhibits flaunting the flora and fauna of the Philippines, as well as paintings and sculptures. Locals and foreigners alike paid a visit to the museum not only to celebrate and learn about the country’s forests and marine life, among others, but also for the building’s grand Neoclassical architecture.

Marcos conviction

The Marcoses have been the subject of controversy regarding martial law atrocities and alleged ill-gotten wealth. This year, former first lady Imelda Marcos was found guilty of seven counts of graft for supposedly funneling public funds to private Swiss bank accounts. The Sandiganbayan convicted her on Nov. 9. However, the Ilocos Norte lawmaker was able to post a 300,000-peso bail before the court on Dec. 4.

PH’s fourth Miss Universe

The Philippines is no stranger to beauty pageants; in fact, pageants are a huge deal for many Filipinos. This year, the entire country rejoiced when Philippine bet Catriona Gray bagged the Miss Universe title last Dec. 17 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Filipino-Australian beauty won the hearts of the judges and the entire nation as she made her way through all the levels of the competition with wit, grace, and confidence.

Bullying awareness

On Dec. 19, a video of a student bullying his schoolmate inside the campus of Ateneo de Manila Junior High School made rounds on social media. The video showed a student violently attacking a boy in the bathroom after forcing him to choose between “bugbog o dignidad.” Many netizens were quick to condemn the incident. On Dec. 23, the Ateneo administration dismissed the bully from the school.

Korean craze

With the influence of K-Pop and Koreanovelas, the Korean culture is becoming an ubiquitous presence in the Philippines. Different K-Pop groups’ fan bases grew in the country from Momoland, whose song “Bboom Bboom” became viral, to other groups like Blackpink, BTS, Wanna One, TWICE, EXO, and more. Aside from the rise of different K-Pop groups, the Korean grill craze is also far from over. With more Filipinos digging Korean restaurants and samgyeopsal, the Korean craze in the Philippines is definitely not dying down.

#InMyFeelings dance challenge

There have been a lot of dance crazes which went viral over the years, from “Teach Me How to Dougie” to “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” to Gangnam style. This year, a new dance craze, called the #InMyFeelings challenge, came in. Hiphop artist Drake’s song, In My Feelings, caught the attention of people from all over the world because of the dance challenge wherein a person dances next to a moving car. The dance started out harmlessly but eventually led to accidents on the road. This dance craze came to an end in the Philippines when the Department of Transportation announced that if someone plans to do it, there could be a possible fine of P5,000 to P15,000 and a revocation of the driver’s license.

This year has been eventful with a lot of news—good and bad—ranging from politics to entertainment. There might have been a lot of mishaps but it is important not to forget the good things that are now part of history. Let the lessons learned from the mistakes this year be a guide for everyone to make 2019 a better year as the adventures and thrill of the future await everyone. F